Supports – Brackets – Article holding means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-08-14
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Article holding means
C248S902000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273386
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to devices for holding eyeglasses and sunglasses. More particularly it relates to a free standing display device for holding and/or displaying a pair of eyeglasses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,409 to Gerber et al. discloses a V-shaped eye wear display device including two temple free end receiving cavities which support the eyeglasses frames by the temple free ends. However, Gerber et al. is limited in the size of temple free ends, earpieces, it can accommodate. It is also limited to a single angle and orientation of display.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,736 to Orr discloses an apparatus for displaying eyeglasses frames including an elongate square channel-shaped base member that indudes a flat bottom wall, a rear wall and a front wall The rear and front walls are parallel to one another and accommodate therebetween the free ends of the temple pieces of a plurality of eyeglasses frames that are positioned along the extent of the base member. The front wall has a greater height than the rear wall so that the temple pieces are maintained in a horizontal plane when the rear wall of the base member is secured to a vertical support surface. The spacing between the rear wall and the front wall is predetermined in accordance with the respective heights of the front and rear walls to prevent the free ends of the temple pieces from falling out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a quick and easy place to attractively store and/or display any pair of eyeglasses for home, office or retail purposes. The eyeglasses are held in a semi-open position, thereby reducing the rate at which the temple screws loosen by reducing the amount of folding and unfolding of the eyeglasses. The eyeglasses are held off of the tabletop, thereby reducing the chances of the eyeglasses becoming accidentally damaged and, at the same time, reducing the amount of space necessary to hold the eyeglasses. Furthermore, when placed upon a desktop, the holder places the eyeglasses such that a user is less likely to forget to take the eyeglasses when leaving.
In keeping with the foregoing discussion, the present invention takes the form of a free standing holder for eyeglasses or sunglasses. The exterior of the holder may form any geometric or freeform shape having sufficient size and weight to hold a cantilevered pair of glasses without falling over. In one embodiment, the holder is a half-sphere with the flat side as the base. A groove or slot is cut about two-thirds up the side and is revolved around the sphere to form a full circle. The slot is sized and configured to hold the earpieces of a pair of eyeglasses. The slot shown enters the sphere at approximately 30-degree angle and is approximately 0.25 inches wide and 1.00 inch deep.
Alternate embodiments have two or more slots which only revolve part way around the unit or have one or more slots which are not on the same vertical plane, thereby holding the eyeglasses with the ear pieces at different angles causing the eyeglasses to rest at a canted angle. The holder may also have two straight slots, at an angle to each other, cut in the top of the holder. In the top view the slots are angled toward each other to mimic the angle of the partially folded eyeglasses. The mimicking of the eyeglasses earpieces is also achieved by the continuous round slot.
The holder may be formed of a single piece or it may be formed by two or more pieces. For example, a central post may fit within a base having an opening extending therethrough. Along the exterior surface, there is a gap between the post and the base. The gap forms a slot configured to hold the earpieces of the pair of eyeglasses. Other objects and advantages of the invention will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description along with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4150752 (1979-04-01), Breining et al.
patent: 5137242 (1992-08-01), Reath
patent: 5265736 (1993-11-01), Orr
patent: 5921409 (1999-07-01), Gerber et al.
patent: 6102346 (2000-08-01), Visser
Leary James J.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Titus Carol D.
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